Rapidly rising fuel bills have made all of us aware of how much energy we are using to heat our homes. It can be hard though to keep track of just how much energy is being used, leaving many people dreading the bill arriving on the doorstep. Others are turning to technology to help them track their heating bills, and there are lots of free to download apps for your smartphone, tablet or computer which you can use to manage your consumption, and minimise costs.
Online Billing
All energy companies have a website and nearly all have the option of creating an account to allow you to track your bill online. In fact, many of the gas and electricity companies offer better tariffs to customers who are prepared to switch to online billing. This means that you take on more responsibility for entering meter readings when prompted to so do and will not get bills through the post any more, but the compensation is that you get cheaper heating. If you are already comfortable with technology and are managing your finances online through internet banking, switching to an online tariff for managing your heating bills is a “quick win” which can be achieved with just a few clicks.
Smartphone Apps
All of the energy companies such as EDF, Scottish Power or British Gas have apps which you can download to your smartphone or tablet. Every company’s app has slightly different features and benefits, but for example on the British Gas app you can submit meter readings, view your current bills and make payments. It also allows you to compare your energy usage with people in your local area, which should flag up whether or not there are potential savings to be made. If you are on a pre-payment meter, some apps will also let you top up your prepayment card from the comfort of your sofa. All of the apps try to make it easier to contact the energy company’s customer services team if you have problems, or to report faults or leaks. All of these energy company designed apps are free to download, and make managing your electricity and gas usage much easier.
Energy Monitors
Depending on the tariff for your heating, you might be eligible to get an energy monitor free of charge. If not, you can get one for around £25. These monitors come in two parts; a digital display unit which you can have anywhere in the house, and a little transmitter which clips onto the cable going into your electricity meter. The display unit will show how much electricity you are using at any given time. Energy monitors are a great way of allowing you to see just how much energy consumption shoots up every time you switch on the kettle, iron, hair dryer or electric shower, and by looking at how much the numbers start to drop when you turn off lights or limit the time in the shower, it can help reduce your costs. The downside to these sorts of monitors that they are usually only available for electricity usage and not gas. Gas monitors have recently come onto the market but are more expensive than monitors for electricity and the extra cost may well cancel out any savings.
Remote Control Apps for Heating
British Gas has been at the forefront of “remote control” apps with its Hive product which is designed to help you take full control of your heating remotely. The main downside of Hive is that it is not a free product. Currently, the package costs £199 to have installed. This covers the cost of the app along with the smartbox which is installed at your home and linked into your heating system as well as being connected to your phone. Hive allows you to turn your heating on and off remotely – so if you are unexpectedly delayed, or away for the weekend you can use the app to turn off the heating using your phone, and then turn it on when you’re on your way home. Hive has lots of other features such as allowing you to set different temperatures for different rooms in the house or letting you set up a timetable for switching heating and hot water on as required. British Gas estimates that you could save £150 every year by using Hive, which would make it a worthwhile investment. Although this product has been developed by British Gas, it works with any energy supplier’s system. If Hive proves to be a success, expect to see similar products developed by the other energy companies in the future.
Wireless Heating Controls
If you’re running a very old heating system which is either on full blast or not on at all, then the best technology to help is wireless heating controls. This is a little box fitted with a thermostat which lets you adjust the temperature up and down as required. You will need advice from a heating engineer about the type of system which is most appropriate for your boiler and home, but you can buy a pack comprising thermostat, control box and radiator valves for less than £200, and you can expect to see savings of £100 or more every year by installing this sort of system.
Smart Meters
The government has announced plans to switch every house in the UK onto a smart meter by 2020. These meters do away with the need for meter reading completely, and upload data on how much electricity and gas you are using to the energy company on a daily basis. These meters should make overpayments and underpayments a thing of the past and will allow you much more detailed information on your energy usage minute to minute. Smart meters are currently being rolled out slowly with the aim of covering the whole country by 2020. There will be no additional charge for having a smart meter fitted, and therefore it’s an energy saving measure which makes a lot of sense.
